Topic: OMG Some people are crazy

[kevlar]

Quote:
Perhaps it would be best if we focused on the problems of this world, before seeking out others.
   

Independently of whatever opinion we might have about the subject of space exploration, we are on the verge of choosing between two completely different strategical options:

1)   Focus on the current problems and saying that what might be done in future, should be done in the future


2)   Concentrate efforts on closing the gap to future achievements.

I am not a religious person in the sense that I don?t believe in reincarnation and such. I truly believe that we only have one shot a life and when she is over we don?t get a ticket back or the chance to send postcards.  Because of my conception, the safety of human biological life is simply the ultimate good.  Nevertheless I would be willing to depart from such valious merchandise for a major advance on space exploration.

I am not a US citizen, so my euros aren?t financing the Nasa, but if I were, I would prefer knowing that my taxes went to the Space or the SETI Programs than many other things.

In the Middle Ages, mankind decided to look to the earth (their immediate problems) and not to the horizon. They didn?t solved their problems ( that was the genesis of the Expansion) and they also clearly compromised technical evolution.
As a consequence many classify the Middle Age as a period of stagnation.

We can focus on the current problems and search solutions for them, but the last 2000 years of History proved that viable solutions are only found with colossal and costly  jumps in the unknown.  

No one can deny that mankind ultimate goal is to travel among the stars, to close the circle of life that started with the Big Bang , quoting the late Carl Sagan and not Moby, since we are all made of stars and we must return to then

Closing the Space Program for 1, 5 or 10 or more years is the typical medieval solution. I personally don?t find fancy to live in an era where we choose, use and abuse of archaic solutions to delay the inevitable.
 

[yellow_fang-L7]

Are folks trying to stop the space program or the shuttle? I haven't heard many folks saying the space program needs to go, but a lot of folks are banging the drum to get rid of the shuttle.  

I think the shuttle needs to go. Let's build a new shuttle. Base on 2003 tech instead of 1970's tech. Something that uses modern computers and material science to best advantage. Maybe a "space plane" program for people and a disposable heavy launch vehicle for "stuff". There is a good anti shuttle article at the new republic here http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030217&s=editorial021703. I think the shuttle is in the way of a better space program...  

[Subspace]

I was talking to my mom about this topic & she said .( it doesnt matter  the second coming we be the end of us anyway )

I wanted to shoot myself in the head ,,,,, can any1 kill me now Please !!!!!!

WTF ???

 

[Cruis.In]

Quote:
I mean the dam sun is going to go 1 day ... What then ???????

you'll be dead by then don't worry.

for me, i just hope they have a cure for old age symptoms by the time im 40. grand illusions of space exploration are too far off for me to even care about. not to say that if i had a choice of living in this time and living in a 24th century galaxy hopping universe i wouldnt make a switch.........sounds like fun.

[Lieutenant_Q]

The timeline that we know of (although its vague right now) is not being messed up at all.  Producers were very clever to include the temporal cold war in there as a way for allowing continuity to be preserved.  Whatever gets screwed up on the series can be claimed to having been the Suliban's fault and of course can be fixed by the rival factions.  Personally, i have no idea why the Federation would even allow this kind of technology to be pursued.  The Prime Directive would become obsolete once time travel technology gets out of Star Fleet's hands.  The same would go for every sane galactic power.  If this technology were to become available to the public, whats stopping a radical element from going back into time and altering history to the point that your empire is eliminated.  Even a Ferengi would pause a second before auctioning it off to the highest bidder. (What If the person I sell this to goes back in time and steals the profit I make off this device)  

[Mr. Hypergol]

Quote:
 Perhaps it would be best if we focused on the problems of this world, before seeking out others.

I thought that is what the space program was doing?

 I find that most people who don't support space exploration usually also know nothing accurate about it.  Especially when it comes to how much is spent on space.

NASA gets 15 billion of a 2.3 trillion dollar federal budget annually.  That's less than 1% of the budget or about 1 cent for every 100 dollars of tax payer money.  The shuttle gets about 2 billion of that 15 billion.

Can anyone explain to me how cancelling the space program will make any difference to the amount of money spent to "fix the problems of this world"?

The reality is that space exploration has done more to change people's lives for the better than most endeavours....all at a bargain price.